Berlin Marathon Training: Week 1

And so it begins..! This week marked the start of my sixteen week countdown to the Berlin Marathon in September, and my second marathon of 2016. The weeks between marathons/marathon training I have not found the easiest (see blog), so I entered this week with real enthusiasm. Its funny how just being able to say 'I am in marathon training' has brought a bit of positivity back to me, and I feel like the metaphoric grey cloud which seems to have been hovering over me is lifting. I just wish my legs felt quite as positive...

MONDAY: as with most marathon plans, Monday is a rest day following a Sunday long run. I intend to complete my Body Pump class on Mondays still, and for now I am keeping with spinning whilst Sunday longs run are not too long! So Spinning and Pump to start the week.

TUESDAY: my first run of training on a very warm day. The plan was for a slow 4 miles, but I got into rhythm and in the heat just stuck with it. I ended up running 8.21 min/mile pace overall, which was a bit of a shock to me, as my legs have not been capable of that recently.

WEDNESDAY: my legs were tighter today and the heaviness which has been plaguing them crept back in; normal service seemed to have resumed! It was warm again, and with my legs feeling as they were and in the heat, I found it much easier to run the 5 miles in my plan at the suggested 9min/mile pace. Body Pump class after in a boiling gym studio!

THURSDAY: on paper tonight's run looked easy, just 3 miles at a steady pace. It was not a good run though; my legs were hit but real heaviness after the first incline I attempted, and from then on it was an effort. I felt really fed up afterwards, frustrated, and a bit sorry for myself.

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: another 3 miles, and without a trip to parkrun this week, I was looking for a positive way to complete the run which would not leave me feeling like Thursday's did. The treadmill beckoned. I am not a treadmill fan at all, but today it did the job and was bearable. I set it to a speed, shut down all the display icons, watched some football on TV and got the job done. 

SUNDAY: on a humid morning I kept my run sensibly steady from the start. In recent weeks, after an optimistic first few miles I have crashed later on, so today I went out at 9 min/mile pace and tried to stick to it. I enjoyed the run a lot (even though my selfie would not suggest it! - see image), and roamed through some routes I had not ran in a while, enjoying seeing how they had changed since I had last plodded past in the depths of winter. My quads had a level of heaviness in them (no surprise!) which made the run feel not quite as easy as I once remember, but it was improved. I hit my 8 mile target averaging 9.14 min/miles - so not too bad. I was tempted to go further than the 8 miles on my plan, but did not want to push my legs more than needed, and settled on a slow jog back to my house from my finishing point. So after week one I feel a bit better in myself - just need my legs to catch up please!